Magical Campione! Shizuka
by Mechanical Marvel
Summary: Shizuka, little sister of Godou, gains the title of god-slayer after slaying Hestia. Can she balance her life between monitoring her Onii-chan, dealing with heretic gods, and trying to find out the identity of that masked Campione and his servants? And what about that mysterious group, PANTHEON, that seems to be working behind the scenes? Read, review, and tell your enemies.
1. Episode 0

**Disclaimer of +1 vs Lawyers: I do not own Campione!. It belongs to Takedzuki Jou. I haven't even _thought_ about owning it . . . much.**

**Episode 0 – Why Am I Fighting Mega Neko?**

–[]–MC!S–[]–

The first thing I notice when I'm walking home from school is cats

lots of cats

lots of giant cats

lots of giant cats getting very close to me

This is pretty unusual. In retrospect I should've been paying more attention but Onii-chan is gone for the week to who knows where. I just know him and his "friends" are up to something. I just know the vacations just an excuse. He didn't even say goodbye! Erica just grabbed him and ran for the airport monday. I'm perfectly within my rights to worry about my poor weak willed brother. Spacing out a bit is perfectly fine! Even if the teachers get a bit mad sometime. It's the duty of a little sister to worry about such a pathetic brother! So what if I didn't notice a few-

"meow"

Right, not the time. Divine beasts like these pop up from time to time apparently. This many at once, however, means that there's certainly a heretic god controlling them. Slowly I back away and take out the small lighter I've taken to carrying around (I'm not a delinquent!). As quickly as I can I chant those unforgettable words I never heard before in a language I didn't speak.

Hearths of Rome

Hearths far away

Lit by mine fire

Carried through lands unknown

Set ablaze this, a land far away

And make this conquest another piece

of This Mine Hearth

Even as I finish the last line of the aria the glow of embers surrounds me summoning the garments I first envisioned as belonging to a protector, guardian of my home. The outfit of Magical Girl Sorami appears from the red hot embers.

. . .

. . .

As always I curse Onii-chan for bringing home those dvds he got from his friend.

. . .

. . .

The ember glow quickly spreads away from me, covering the city in a circular wall reaching as high as the eye can see and giving everything a slight tint of orange. The people in the streets are instantly frozen, made invincible and immobile by the Hearth's protection. The cat's that surround me look warily at the new surroundings and bump off the objects they previously plowed through. They mill about, confusion evident, before all of them stiffen and once again become calm.

Two lionesses besides a robed woman walk through the cats as they meekly bow and move to create a path for the three. The source of all this trouble walks up to me and halts. Calmly she raises her scepter, an intricate thing with carvings of cats running up and down it and topped with a golden sun, to eye level. Her feline eyes stare at me unblinking, set in the head of a black cat.

"Thou art the God-slayer of this land?" She demands as the cats once more turn to look at me.

"Yes." The answer is just a formality, she knows what I am just as much as I know what she is.

"Then thou shall be remembered as my first victory over these lands."

And with hardly a pause the heretic goddess fires a brilliant blast of light from her scepter.

I can't help but think that, somehow, this all Onii-chans fault

–[]–MC!S–[]–

**Author's Rant/Considered Discourse:**

First – thanks for reading.

Well I did it. I finally posted a story to the internet.

That little submit button taunted me so many times before I had an idea I really liked but now I'm the one laughing (or I will be by the time I finish writing this, talking to the future is hard.) I've written a few things before but this is the first time I've decided to post and I'm about as nervous as anyone.

As of writing this (9/19/13) I only have this prologue done for this fic but I've actually do have the rest of this wonderful mess semi-plotted. I hope to continue this to the end (and I do have an end) but if not I'll go as far as I can. So tell me your thoughts, incoherent ramblings, and wrathful hatred. I thank you for whatever you choose to write.


	2. Episode 1

**Disclaimer: If you are reading this then I don't own Campione! and don't have access to time travel**

Episode 1 – There's No Way My Little Sister Could Become a Campione!

It was suspicious. Ever since that trip to Sardinia Onii-chan started acting more like grandpa. First Erica then Mariya then Lillianna then Ena. Even Mariya's little sister was starting to look at him funny. Whatever made Onii-chan start paying more attention to women if it continued like this the danger level would shoot through the roof.

Which is why I hid behind the door this morning when grandpa suddenly rushed to answer a phone call. While I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation he said more than enough for me to make a plan. So, when Onii-chan was dragged off by Erica to discuss something, I made my way to the living room.

"Grandpa, you're not going to make Onii-chan skip school again are you?" I tried to keep my face from seeming _too_ stern. If grandpa decided to clam up I wouldn't be able to do anything

"Of course not Shizuka-chan." I don't know if he was fooled or not but this definitely wasn't going to be easy. His face had that same confident grin he always gave grandma.

"Then you're not going to have Onii-chan deliver something to your friend in Delphi?" Playing my cards so early was risky but if I didn't catch this lie I didn't stand a chance.

"Don't worry about such minor things Shizuka-chan. Winter breaks right around the corner so there's no need to worry about school even if he did go." His grin didn't waver for a minute. I didn't catch a lie but this atleast gave me a timeline.

"If there's nothing else I need sorting through some of the older books to check their condition." Hah! He thought that if he rushed me I wouldn't be able to keep up. He was almost right, by the time I thought of what to say he was already starting down the steps.

"There is one more thing grandfather" For a moment he paused on the steps then, as if he had expected it all along, he turned back to me.

"What is it Shizuka-chan?"

"Actually Erica called me earlier to tell me she needed someone to go to Greece for her as soon as possible." It was only a little bit of a lie. I had called Erica earlier to ask if she could get me on a flight to Greece in exchange for telling her a story from Onii-chans past. Erica was smart though, if grandpa decided to call her she would be just vague enough that I could get away with pretty much any story.

"Oh? But I can hardly approve of you going all the way to Greece unsupervised. I'm afraid you're just going to have to tell her she needs to find someone else." He seemed to be taking this a bit more seriously now but I already had him. Besides, I knew he had left Onii-chan all alone on our trip to Athens under the guise of an "accident".

"Don't worry grandpa, Erica asked a family friend if I could go with them on their trip. A man named Genaro Gantz and his family are going to the port nearby to meet with some of Erica's family." Erica had seemed annoyed that Gantz was the only one that would be going through Athens but a few pictures to go along with the story had made her happy enough.

"Still, it doesn't do any good for you to miss school instead of Godou." Here he realized that the conversation had gotten away from him. His grin had become rather strained and his eyes had started to wander the room.

"Unlike Onii-chan I haven't missed a single day of school and when I told them I wanted to go to Greece all they asked was that I bring back a souvenir." Well, that wasn't all they had asked. It had taken a lot of negotiation to convince them that a written report from visiting such a historically rich country would more than make up for a slight delay in my lessons. But grandpa didn't need to know that. His grin slipped entirely now, he knew I had won.

"Heh, I suppose you deserve a chance to go on a trip once in a while too. Grandma would probably hate me for letting you go but she would definitely hang me up in the middle of town if she knew I was visiting _that_ friend." He seemed a bit reminiscent after he said this. The grin had returned but with an indecent edge to it. "Hurry up and pack your things, I'll get the urn from storage." Watching him start down the stairs again I smiled triumphantly. It wasn't often I won an argument with grandpa.

I barely saw the urn before grandpa stuck it in a small padded crate. It was wrapped up in cheap newspaper and topped by an intricate cap that seemed a bit newer than the rest of it. A few hours later I was heading towards the first-class section on a plane heading straight to Athens International Airport. I was grateful to Erica for the tickets but I wish she had just bought normal tickets. Trying to avoid staring at the difference between this and the other classes I made my way to my seat. The seat and it's partner were empty. Though a small cubicle like wall separated them from the rest of the seat it looked quite spacious. Settling in and closing the small window out of habit I noticed an older woman looking at her ticket and walking towards me.

She was tall, her hair an odd sort of dark, golden blond and partially covered by a simple red kerchief. She was obviously foreign though I couldn't tell her nationality. As she walked towards me her smile seemed so warm and friendly that whatever worries I had seemed to fly away and I found myself smiling back. Setting aside her ticket she soon sat down in the seat beside me and turned towards me.

"Hello, my name is Heshia, I hope we have a pleasant trip." She must have lived here for quite a while because I couldn't find even a trace of an accent in her voice.

"Oh, um, me too! I mean, my name is Shizuka, Shizuka Kusanagi. I hope we have a pleasant trip as well!" I tripped over my own tongue trying to answer her but she only smiled more.

"So Shizuka, are you taking a trip to Athens all by yourself?" Everything she did seemed so _warm_ and friendly that I found myself thankful for the opportunity to talk to her.

"Oh, I'm not alone, I'm meeting with a friend in Athens who's going to be my guide."

"Oh so they're going to show you around?"

"A little bit, but I'm actually going to Delphi." Her face actually managed to brighten even more at my mention of the city.

"I'm heading there as well!" Her tone was still the same pleasant calm but it somehow seemed more excited. "I think I lived there before I came to Japan and hoped that seeing my birthplace might bring back a few memories." Once she actually came to her reason for visiting she actually started to seem more depressed. It was like watching a fire start to sputter out.

"So where do you think I should visit while I'm at Athens?" The melancholy air was instantly dispelled as I desperately tried to change the subject. In truth I already knew what all there was to see but it was still a success. We ended up talking about everything from her favorite places in the city to comparing my brother and hers (It seemed Heshia had several brothers in the countryside near Litochoro though she didn't remember much about them). Eventually, our conversation started to wind down and by the time the plane began it's descent into Athens we were about out of subjects.

"When do you think you'll be heading to Delphi?" I had refrained from mentioning the city again after her mood spoiled the first time but it seemed she was fine with the topic now.

"A friend of mine is driving me there first thing in the morning." Gantz would be there very early tomorrow morning and grandpa had insisted he take care of booking a hotel for me. All I really needed to do was show my passport at the front desk and I would receive my room key.

"If you have time during your trip do you think we could meet up at the Temple of Apollo sometime in the afternoon?"

"Of course! I'll be finished by then anyways." Grandpa's friend apparently lived very close to the temple and I would surely have time to visit it after I delivered the urn.

"Alright, I'll see you then!"

"See you then." Saying farewell the crowd split us apart as I began earnestly making my way to the exit.

I was very glad I got to go on this trip instead of Onii-chan. Though he probably would get into just as much trouble at home anyways. I'd have to take care of it when I got back

–[]–MC!S–[]–

"Godou, whats wrong?"

"Nothing Erica, I just felt odd for a second."

"Is it a heretic god?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just this weird chill suddenly ran down my spine"

"Well if it's nothing important then pay attention. As a Campione you need to be more aware of the mythical significance of the holidays."

"I know, but what does that have to do with what my plans for Christmas?"

–[]–MC!S–[]–

Well no sense worrying about it. Onii-chan probably wouldn't get into _too_ much trouble while I was gone. Mariya, at least, would be able to keep things proper. Though maybe I could cut the trip a bit short . . .

Well for now I just had to check into the hotel. Aside from the urn I managed to get through without a problem. Even if I had been on international flights before grandpa insisted on coaching me to the point I could have gone through it in my sleep. He even printed out a schedule of all the bus and railway times. I originally thought I could spend some time looking around Athens but maybe if I went to sleep sooner I could convince Gantz to start on the road earlier. Stepping out of the terminal I managed to find the railway and manipulate a small electronic ticket machine (how exactly grandpa found a walkthrough for this specific railway system I'll never know) and retrieved a small one-way pass.

The next morning I was waiting outside the hotel, bags in hand and a curse for every one of the five minutes that had passed since Gantz had said he would get here. This early in the morning the only vehicle even moving are buses and a large van. The van was even more noticeable because every inch of it was covered in stars, hearts, or the same anime character making various poses and fighting large monsters. Funnily enough the van was slowing down, coming to a stop just a little to my right. Huh, now that I can see it up close guess I think I recognize that character. Onii-chan brought home a bunch of dvds though he never watched them. Oh yeah he said that they were from a friend of . . .

The terror I had been ignoring until now finally broke the dams of my subconscious and it was all I could do stay standing.

"Hello, are you Godou's sister?" The man was leaning out the window of the van, looking directly at me and speaking in terrifyingly perfect Japanese. "Wow, you really do look like Saromi!Elder from episode 42!"

"I wanna see dad!"

"Dear, would you try and be a bit more polite?"

The man, who I still hoped was not Genaro Gantz, had apparently managed to get married at some point in his life because past the terrifying, bearded man I saw a beautiful young woman staring at me with a look of worry. Behind the two a small child could be heard asking a dozen questions.

"-xcuse me?" While trying to tie together the concepts of "Erica's Friend" and "Drives a Magical Girl Sorami Van" I noticed that the man's lips seemed to be moving.

"Excuse me?" Wait what was I supposed to be doing?

"Dear I think you scared her." Oh, right, I was talking to the only people that I knew who could possible give me a ride to Delphi.

"Oh sorry, I suppose I'm still tired from the flight." It wasn't totally a lie. The hotel was comfortable enough but the noise of the city was somehow entirely different from what she was used to.

"That's fine, I take it your Godou's sister?"

"Yes, that must mean that your Erica's friend." Hope that this was all some misunderstanding burned through my mind. For some reason the man's face had turned very, very grim for a moment before his wife laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Dear. . ." He calmed down almost immediately but his face still looked a bit unpleasant.

"Yes, I'm Erica's . . . friend" My hopes were dashed, but I could barely hear him say it. It had sounded like he had tried to speak while grinding his teeth and biting his tongue simultaneously. I wondered for a bit about his reluctance. Remembering who all Erica considered her friend, however, gave me a bit of insight and a bit of sympathy for the terrifying man.

"Ah, well thank you for letting me ride with you to Delphi. Would you mind taking me by the airport? The package I'm supposed to deliver got caught up in customs." They could cite what a valuable artifact it was all day long but grandpa had made sure he had all the proper papers and then some.

"It's no problem at all." The wife answered before the terrifying man could get a word in. "Isn't that right dear?"

"Of course, just what I was about to say." Judging by how he still had a bitter look on his face from the mention of Erica I doubted that was all he would have said. "Go ahead and get in the back. You can have your pick of any seat from the third row on." As he said this the back door of the van slid aside.

Peering into the, admittedly clean, depths of the van I first noticed a massive cobweb of seatbelts, rope, and elastic ties centered around an expensive looking children's car seat.

"Hi, I'm Angela!"

"Hello." I answered. Sitting in the carseat was a young girl, about 4 or 5 years old, completely wrapped in what looked like a life vest tied together with bubble tape. My sense of unease grew once again and I had to decide between calling grandpa so that he could send Onii-chan to deliver the urn during winter break, or making my way past the poor child and sitting in the third row.

Buckling the seatbelt I leaned back and prepared for the long drive to Delphi.

"So, Shizuka, how much do you know about Magical Girl Sorami?"

A _very_ long drive.

". . . And that's why Magical Girl Sorami is the ideal embodiment of justice and protector of the innocent that all defenders of the peace should aspire too." As the long and excessively detailed description of Magical Girl Sorami ended the only sounds that could be heard was the rumble of the car and a tiny clapping.

"Yay! Daddy that was even better than last time!" Angela, who had apparently grown used to the madness, seemed genuinely excited about the speech and had stayed quite for the whole ride.

"Thank you sweetie! Well, I hope you learned something Shizuka. Not everyone has such great opportunities to learn straight from the source like you do."

"Are you finished dear?" The wife asked sweetly, as if her husband had not just talked for a little over three hours about magical girls. The mirror, however, showed her removing a small earbud on her right-hand side with a practiced hand.

"Well, I have a few things more to say to Shizuka but were almost to the Temple of Apollo and we'll need to drop her off soon." Looking through the front window I could indeed see the temple. Grandfather had told me his friend lived nearby the restored monument so I could probably find my way from here.

"I think I'll walk the rest of the way if that's all right with you. I always wanted to see Greece."

"Are you sure? I have a few more things I could tell you abou- OW! OW! OW!"

"Go ahead and get out Shizuka, I know you haven't been able to sightsee as much as you'd like." The wife's smile hadn't changed at all but I could definitely make out a bit of darkness in it now. Deliberately ignoring this revelation I sat back in my seat as the car swerved desperately to the side of the rode and the side door slid back.

"Thank you for guiding me here."

"Oh, it's not a problem at all." Gantz's Wife answered sweetly, her hand back in her lap.

"Well I owed that B-" The car suddenly filled an oppressive aura as Gantz's wife looked towards him. "Erica, I owed Erica, a few favors anyways. Just be sure to tell her-" The aura returned for a brief moment. "to have a good day."

Thirty minutes later I stood in front a two story house fenced with low walls. The building itself was made of clean cut stone. Inscribed upon each side were intricate carvings of what looked to be the Greek pantheon surrounding a fireplace. Below the fireplace there was a thick wooden door with a beautiful woman, wrapped in those odd Greek robes and wearing a simple veil. Above two of the gods were windows, holding no glass and inscribed with Greek character all along the edges.

Seeing all this I was amazed, I stood stock still in the street as I tried to take in every detail. A movement in the upper-right window was the only thing that allowed me to tear my eyes away. I started as I realized that I had been staring and quickly checked the note grandfather gave me. Looking between the small nameplate and the note in my hand I made my way towards the door. Trying very hard not to stare at the artwork again now that I was closer, I set down the urn I had been carrying and raised my fist to the door.

As I did this the door swung open to reveal a young woman wrapped in the same odd robes as the goddesses in the artwork.

"Hello! Are you Ichika's granddaughter? Ah you have the urn! Splendid! I'm Pythia." Finishing the introductions by herself she stood aside and held the heavy door open.

"Come on, we don't need to be at the temple for quite some time so we can rest and talk till then."

As I tried to figure out what she talking about I was practically shoved past the door. Trying to balance the urn again after the sudden movement I look around. Inside was a modest living room with two couches surrounding a long coffee table and a kitchen farther towards the back. Looking around for a place to set the urn down before I could nearly drop it again I heard the loud boom of the thick door settling back into place.

"Just place it anywhere dear. I'll fix us some tea so make yourself comfortable." She walked past me tapping me on the shoulder as she pointed out the couch furthest from the door. "I'm sure you're still tired from carrying that thing so you should take every opportunity to rest you can."

Setting down the urn as carefully as I could I turned back towards the kitchen

"Actually I need to be going. I think my grandfather wants me to get back home as soon as possible." This was the truth though I was more worried about how much the danger to Onii-chan rose without me around.

"Oh? Don't be silly. This isn't where the urn needs delivered." She called from the kitchen.

"Isn't this your house?" It was a bit amazing for a house but grandfathers friends were. . . _interesting_.

"Yes it is actually but the urn itself needs to be carried to the Temple of Apollo. That's where the ritual will be carried out." I could hear the tea set clink as Pythia walked to the opposite side of the table and sat down.

"Ritual?" I was getting a bit nervous now. I don't think grandpa would have any dangerous friends but the _very_ interesting were still frightening.

"Of a sort. The government pays me to act out some of the old ceremonies once in a while. They say it keeps the history alive." She said, bringing one of the tea cups to her lips.

"Oh so it's a tourist thing." I wrapped my hands around my own tea cup noting the odd scent as I did.

"Close enough. In truth tonight's ceremony is a favor for an old friend of mine." She seemed to go somewhere far away at the mention of her friend.

"Has it been a long time?" It didn't look like things would be getting very interesting so I could atleast talk to her while we waited.

"I haven't seen her since I was a kid. She used to live nearby but I doubt she even remembers me." That's odd, the things she said seemed to nag at my thoughts.

"Her name wouldn't happen to be Heshia would it?" The name popped into my head before I could really recognize it.

"You've met her?" Her curiosity was undisguised and I was startled when she leaned forward.

"She sat beside me on the plane over here," I smiled, part from nerves and part from the memory, "she seemed rather excited to be coming back to Greece."

"How wonderful. I'm sure she'll be excited to see you again." Pythias face broke into an even wider grin.

After that the conversation went to the more mundane. At some point she offered me lunch and when I gratefully accepted she brought in a plate of odd sandwiches with a thick white sauce. After I finished off the first five sandwiches she started asking about my Onii-chan. Her eyes sparkled once I finally gave in to her persistence and told her what I knew about him. Now more than ever I was glad I convinced grandpa that I should be the one to take the urn. We were actually discussing his abhorrent corruption of my senpai when she suddenly set down her cup on the tray once again. Her smile, which had grown a bit dour as the conversation continued, was now back to it's normal brilliance.

"We'll have to finish this another day. It seems the times gotten away from me." I wondered what she was talking about before I remembered what she said about the ritual. "Grab the urn please we need to get going to the temple." The sudden interruption soured my mood but I didn't want to make Heshia wait. As soon as she finished she fled upstairs and called back:

"I've got a spare set of clothing laid out in the room on your right. Please change into it as quick as you can." Somewhere at the top of the stairs I heard the large slam of a heavy door. I was half-tempted to try and argue with her through the door, but I had forgotten the schedule for the afternoon buses in the hotel anyways.

Walking into the room I found a much smaller version of the robes that Pythia wore along with instructions on how they were worn. Putting them on as quickly as I could I walked out into the living room wondering if I could convince her to lend me a coat.

The trip to the temple was relatively uneventful. It was dark outside but the air was warm. Even if it was warm I could still feel every gust of wind that passed us. Pythia hadn't said a word since we left the house and I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Whatever the ceremony was I doubt I would like it if even the journey their as this solemn. Even the chance to meet Heshia again started to seem less and less important.

As we neared the temple I forgot my uneasiness as my eyes wandered over the architecture. It looked ancient even if I knew they had only recently finished the restoration. Three giant pillars stood at the top of a short set of steps. The columns were enormous but looking at the structure mad me wonder how they could support it. Not missing a beat Pythia walked up the steps and right past the giant columns. Quickly following after her I saw her waiting for me by a set of smaller pillars in front of what looked like a large, walled room leading to a series of longer rooms. Hanging from the entrance was a small sign written in numerous language. Seeing the English version I took a stab at translating it.

"Pythia are we going to be entering that restricted section?" I knew she had said this was official business but for some reason the thought of entering that walled section terrified me.

"Yes, the hearth we need to place the urn by is located in the adyton in the back. Don't worry there'll be plenty of light inside" Looking past her I could indeed see a soft orange glow coming through the doorways. "Besides, we can't let poor Hestia wait any longer."

Carrying the urn I stepped through the hallway behind Pythia. Each doorway we walked under gave me a fresh sense of dread and I had to force myself to walk forward. In front of me Pythia solemnly but still seemed calm. Either she hadn't noticed the sensation or it was familiar to her. Still, in front of the final doorway she hesitated for just a few minutes before a voice called out from the room.

"Shizuka-chan! What a surprise to see you again!" Lifting my head I could see Heshia standing beside a large hearth waving at me. Looking at her in the hearth light I was surprised to see her wearing almost the same outfit as yesterday. Covered in bright orange and yellows she blended in perfectly with the hearth light. Seeing her seemed to remove the dread from my mind and make it even stronger at the same time. While nothing about her had changed my mind was split between relief at seeing her and a screaming sense to leave the urn and run away as fast as I could. Now that I thought about it that wasn't a bad idea. I just needed to get away. Heshia would understand. I just had to turn around an-

"Shizuka! Be a dear and bring the urn over here!" Right, I couldn't do something that rude after going all this way and meeting Heshia again. Shaking my head I walked up to Pythia and handed her the urn. Smiling as she took it from my hands Heshia was now looking curiously at the urn.

"What's that for Pythia?" The brightly colored woman asked, "I thought we were going to talk about my childhood?"

"Unfortunately there isn't much to tell about your childhood. You'll know why in a little bit." Saying this she turned the hearth and removed the cap of the urn. "After all, you have a duty to fulfill Hestia." A coarse black powder poured out of the jar onto the fires of the hearth. As soon as the first of it reached the fire a wave of flames suddenly spread, passing through the walls and people in an instant.

Lowering my arms after the sudden rush of fire I looked around at my surroundings. Everything still had the same ember glow but unlike before there didn't seem to be any variation. Everything was perfectly illuminated. No shadows could be found anywhere and the fire in the hearth looked the same as it always had. Pythia now stood in front of me with a look of triumph on her face and I followed her gaze to Heshia.

Heshia now stood atleast 9 feet tall. The modern clothing she was wearing was now gone, In its place were the same robes that Pythia and I wore but blinding in color and covered with a simple metal breastplate. In her hands she held a shortsword, glowing like it had just been pulled from a forge, and a tall tower shield. Both were covered in intricate scenes depicting simplistic figures holding back even simpler looking armies in front of a city. Everything she wore seemed to flicker with the hearth and the sword radiated heat even from this distance.

"Thou, the Oracle of Delphi, are the one to disturb me from my peaceful existence? What arrogance has allowed thee to think themselves worthy of my presence?" Pythia visibly cowered at the words. Her confident smile wavered slightly but as soon as Heshia finished speaking it returned and Pythia answered.

"I merely wished that you would visit with some of your followers at Olympus." Pythia stood tall in front of Heshia but she never met Heshia's gaze.

"No, my place is in this city" Heshia answered immediately. "I will be merciful and forgive thee of thou trespass but if you think I wish to expose myself to more of your ilk thou are mistaken. For now I must restore this city of Delphi to it's former glory and remove these pathetic unblessed structures that dare surround my home." Without even glancing in my direction Heshia walked towards towards the entrance of the temple.

Pythias demeanor changed as soon as Heshia had turned around. No longer concealing her rage she reached into her robes and brought out a black-bladed sickle. Before I could even blink she had crossed the room, sickle raised, and tried to bring it down on Heshia's back.

With a sickening crunch the giant shield threw her across the room. Flying through the air she crashed against the wall and fell a few meters from the hearth fire, the sickle clattering across the floor.

"If thou will deny my mercy then lay broken before my hearth. For thine arrogance thine death will be slow. Perhaps thou will be wise and spend it upon repentance for thine crime." Heshia lowered her shield once again. Turning around her eyes merely passed over me, not an ounce of recognition could be seen. Before I could even begin to sort through what had happened she was already out of my sight.

Shaking my head to try and clear it I ran over to Pythia. She was still breathing but her eyes were now glazed over and she didn't flinch even as I started walking to her.

"Pythia?" I didn't really expect her to answer but I had no clue what I could do. Heshia had just changed into an arrogant giant and killed the only other person that had a clue what was going on. "Pythia can you here me?" Like I though she didn't even flinch when I yelled at her.

I waited a few seconds, hoping she would wake up and explain everything. Before I could try and call out to her again I heard a large crash somewhere in the distance. Pythia stirred a bit as the temple shook around me but I did not have the time. The words Heshia had said before she left changed into a horrifying image of that sword burning buildings even as the inhabitants stood gazing at her.

She wouldn't do that. Heshia was one of the kindest people she had met in a long time. But, what if that wasn't Heshia? Hesitating, I looked towards the strange black sickle laying beside Pythia. Even with everything bathed in that warm ember glow it remained nothing but black. No shadow fell from it and no light played along its edges. Gingerly, I picked it up from the floor. Carefully avoiding the metal blade itself I tucked it into the folds the robe made around my waist.

Whatever had happened I couldn't just stand still. Even Onii-chan would have charged forward in this situation.

I ran towards the noise I had heard earlier. I don't know how long it had been since I exited the temple but I began to notice the ruins surrounding me had changed. Sunset had long passed but the ruins glowed with the same ember hue and, in the horizon, I could see a great wall built of gently flowing flames surrounding the entirety of the city. Everything was illuminated, no shadows could be seen anywhere in sight and every single thing held still, ready to resume motion at any moment.

As I left the ruins I finally saw the source of the noise. A large building near the highway was burning. It had been cut along the length so that top half was slowly grinding as it slid off. Light, shadow, and color all played across the unconsumed portion of the building. The fire slowly worked it way down the building, leaving behind a dirt pit cast in the same glow as the rest of the city.

Turning away from the burning building I looked down the road and saw Heshia once again. She was trailing her sword along the highway, burning it till only earth remained, and was walking up to a row of cars. As I watched the lead car suddenly regained its colors and ran straight into her sword, crumpling the front end even as the flames slowly began to devour it.

"Heshia!" I ran as fast as I could, the people inside the car were still dazed though the driver began trying to open his door. Heshia lifted her sword from the ground and turned towards me.

"Ah, the young maiden accompanying the Oracle. Thou should have learned from thine companion." She turned towards me and the dread I'd felt Temple of Apollo once again came to the forefront of my mind. Slowly she walked towards me, stepping off the asphalt and onto the freshly scourged dirt path. "Speak the foolishness for which thou traded my generous gift of clemency."

"Heshia! Please stop!" I didn't really expect anything. I'd hoped her expression would change, even a little, to acknowledge that my words were not worthless. Seeing her stare at me with the same arrogant gaze I struggled to remain standing and forced my hands to draw the sickle from my robe.

"Oh? Thou wishes to match a defender's sword with a weapon of trickery?" Her grip on her sword tightened as she suddenly stopped. Faster than I could see she stood in front of me, the sword swinging towards my outstretched arm. Even though it was so close I could barely raise the sickle to meet the blade. As soon as I did my arm was wrenched along the swords path, somehow holding onto the sickle I was thrown back by the sheer force of it.

Desperately, I struggled to regain my feet and switch the sickle to my still good hand. Heshia just stood there and waited, looking down on me with patience and a total lack of any concern. Neither contempt nor pity crossed her face. Once I stood on me feet once more she appeared in front of me again and rammed her sword through my stomach. I had to stand on my toes as pain threatened to make me black out right there. Only the knowledge that losing my footing would end my life kept me awake. She just stood there, her attention focused wholly on my slow death. Adrenaline finally made dulled the pain, far slower than it should have.

I kept my eyes off the sword, if I looked at it now the pain would certainly return. I bit down as my feet struggled to find traction on the recently muddied earth. As I took one step, then another, it became easier to place my feet on the ground even as the pain refreshed itself with my every movement. As I neared Heshia I slowly raised the sickle. Heshia's eyes never strayed from me as I raised the sickle higher than I would have thought possible in my state, putting all my force into a pitiful swipe at her neck. The sword slid out of my stomach as she raised it in a guard against even that.

–[]–MC!S–[]–

Deep inside the Temple of Apollo the Oracle of Delphi coughed as she force her eyes open. The pain that seemed to define every bone in her body slowly overcame the haziness of her concussion. The adyton, which should have been as silent as everything else within Hestia's authority, was filled with a gentle crackling.

Despite the pain she looked over towards the hearth, hope for revenge overriding any pain the motion caused. Seeing the roaring bonfire there her mouth split into a painful grin. Slowly her lips formed the ancient phrase she had learned once she was assigned this task. Briny water leaked out from the walls and spread towards the hearth. As soon as the water began to touch the flame it started sputtering and grew smaller, retreating from the quickly expanding puddle. As the last of the flames were extinguished her eyes closed once more. A slow, hoarse chuckle continued long after she had once more fallen back into unconsciousness.

–[]–MC!S–[]–

In an instant the world returned to life. The ember glow that illuminated everything dissapeared into the dark and the tall, fiery wall surrounding the city was gone. The cars nearly crashed into each other as the sound of their screeching tires broke the silence. A cacophony of noise sounded alongside the grind of the collapsing building.

And, in a moment of shock, Heshia's steady hand faltered. The sword that was ready to block the sickle lowered and the blade went straight through her neck without resistance. Heshia's final expression, changing even as the head toppled from the giant's body, seemed to be one of joyous recognition. Watching this I felt my adrenaline leave and the pain rush in to replace it. Slowly my body fell to ground. Sinking into unconsciousness I smiled at the small gift.

**Author's Discourse/ Rant:**

Before anything else: Wikipedia is my dearest, somewhat neurotic, friend. At times I spent 10 minutes on that site for every paragraph or so. That being said I highly doubt this is without errors in regard to lore, location, or architecture. Anyone with personal experience in Greece please correct me.

For reference this set sometime around volume 12 with the caveat that I'll probably be ignoring the timeline due to not being good enough to write in Godou's story while trying to write Shizuka's.

That being said I'm actually pretty proud to finally get this out. It took two weeks but I feel I've covered everything I wanted too with this chapter and I'm torn between wondering what I could do to make it better and just wanting to prove that I'm actually writing something.

On the subject of improvement: If anyone wants to volunteer to beta this story or can suggest someone you think would beta this story for me please send me a message. For some reason the thought had really crossed my mind until someone mentioned it but it's definitely a good idea.

Next up **Episode 2 – How Could I Become a Magical Girl!?**

Posted 10/3/2013 (barely)

I hope this counts as more than a thousand words.


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